The Kassites
are known as the cavalrymen and horse breeders of the
Empire of Korweyn at the continent of
Nybelmar. They're
honourable and brave warriors that drive their herds of cattle,
horses and
sheep
over the vast plains of central and eastern Korweyn. In many respects they provide
the military backbone of the empire of Korweyn and are as a tribe the second
in rank in the empire and the Korweynite's closest ally.

Appearance.
The Kassites are a tribe of cattle herders and horsemen. They have a fair complexion
and grow considerable tall and are in some way the counterpart of the Korweynite.
They're usually of strong build, man and women alike.

The straight hair is worn
long, only the warriors cut their hair as sign of submission to the codes of
war in shoulderlength and wear it in the traditional warrior tail. The Kassites
are usually very proud of their hair and weave various jewelry from painted
bones to pearls and gold wire into it, a tradition only warriors refrain from
doing for practical reasons. They're even forbidden to wear any kind of jewelry
openly so the soldiers - despite build and height - look more or less the same.
In some clans it is even common to dye the hair in one common colour, often
black, sometimes blonde or red. Priests live an ascetic life as hermits away
from the main settlements. They completely shave their heads as sign of complete
submission to their God or Goddess and live only from what the worshippers bring
them to honour them and their Gods.

Coat of Arms/Sign.
The Kassites' shield shows two black stallions fighting on the green plains.
Since the rise of the second Empire the shield also contains the Korweynite
sun eagle rising behind the horses. The individual clans put certain symbols
and objects on the ground to the feet of the
horses.

Territory.
The origin of the Kassites is lost in the mists of the past. Only that they
came to the lands of Korweyn during the second war between Korweyn and the second
Shadow Realm. They were greeted as welcomed allies and they received the wide
but dangerous plains east of the Sohon Mountains as their new grazing grounds.
Today they're split up into three great factions that settle around Kormendale,
between the Ranesh and the Espesh and in the borderland to the Jerrah.

People.
The Kassites are a warrior tribe and in their traditions follow many rites to
ensure the war-readiness of their tribe at all times. The Kassites educate their
children - girls and boys alike - in groups of five to a dozen from the age of
four to ride and fight on the horseback. They became great with the bow and
the lance and are said to be nearly unbeatable when fought on their horsebacks
in their own plains.

The training in groups is meant to ensure a feel of comradeship among them and
create strong bonds beyond childhood. Later these groups became own squads that
will
fight together on the battlefield. While more than comradeship might evolve
from such yearlong comradeship it is seen as rather indecent to marry someone
from the same squad. The Kassites believe that it would destroy the bonds of
comradeship and bring bad luck upon the soldiers of these squad. In a more practical
way they don't want close bonds to hinder someone to obey to necessary orders.
Also the squadmembers are usually the first ones drawn to military service,
ensuring that no married couples are among one squad so that always one
member of family is staying behind with the children and someone is tending
the ranch.

In Kassite terms
all members of a squad and their affiliates are considered "family". That makes
talking to a Kassite about family business a rather complicate task, as this
includes the own family, the ranch and the business of any other squadmember.
Marrying always means that one side gives up its position in a squad or clan
and steps back to some kind of home reserve. While about any grown-up Kassite
is capable of fighting, those that are members of a squad are the most likely
to go to war on behalf of the Empire. The rest is there to ensure that there
are always replacements and that the ranches and herds are tended well, even
in war. Of course that means that clans can be very disappointed to lose capable
warriors over a marriage and thus great sums - from money to cattle - can be
demanded to replace the loss. This is something resolved by the clans,
not the immediate family members, which are always interested in maintaining
a stable base of warriors of any side. Clans make up more as military units,
not as social ones and thus marriages between clans are not a problem for Kassites.
Indeed the rational process that lies behind arranging a marriage also leads
to a great fluctuation between the different clans making them feel as one tribe
as nearly any Kassite shares distant relations to any other clan.

The clan hierarchy begins with the eldest generation living as the first
squad of a clan in an own house, usually the biggest ranch of the clan as sign
of respect and deepest trust. It is also used as meeting hall of the clan and
to resolve any issue about the clan or trades with outsiders. The age of a squad
is what determines its rank in a clan and its importance. Elder squads are usually
assigned to be officers at war and take greater responsibilities than the younger
ones. The families group squad-wise in own houses obeying to the oldest squad
which elects the chieftain and the general of war. Squads decimated in war join
others or are regrouped with others with similar losses. The ranches and grazing
grounds of any given clan are distributed freely among their squads to ensure
that they're used to the greatest advantage of the clan. So ranches are never
abandoned for long with new families taking the place of those that left or
died.

This military structure is very effective in war but is seen as a bit stubborn
by most during peace times. However, for Kassites in peace this is only a continuation
of their strong family bonds where anyone within a clan can trust anyone else
starting with his squad. The Kassites follow close codes of honour in all their
ways based on these traditions and especially courage and truthfulness are valued
high and someone not living up to this standards is punished with the worst
of Kassites' punishments: exile.

Housing.
In ancient times the Kassites lived in leather huts, that were no more than
just stable tents. Today with fixed grazing grounds their homes are usually
built like domes made of clay. The domes are often placed around a central
ground and serve different purposes from homes to storage rooms and guest rooms.
Several of these domes form a ranch inhabited by one squad and its families.

A living dome consists of one great room with one big fireplace that also serves
for cooking in the center. The central room is reserved for the eldest of the
ranch as the sleeping place. It also is used as as the dinner room and for the
councils – usually held during dinner. The rest of the family lives along the
walls of the dome in own niches sometimes separated from each other with hides,
carpets or wooden panels. These domes are in general ten peds wide but can reach
up to 30 peds on rich and prosperous ranches or at homes of clanleaders.

Clothing.
Most clothing of the Kassites consists of leather or crude wool. They commonly
wear a woolen tunic and a leather vest. For important events these vests are
decorated with silver or brass and the tunics have bright colours. Completing
their outfit they wear long coats of wool with a leathern collar similarly decorated
like their vests against the cold when camping outside to guard the herds or
on the battlefield.

Diet.
The Kassites mainly feed from the cattle and sheep herds. Thus meat and milk
is their main source of food. They also make cheese and other products
from milk which they consume. Sometimes they add grain, either found wild on the plains or bought
from the Korweynites.

Weapons.
The most common weapon among the kassites is the “Tsubar”, a
longsword with
twohand-hilt and a curved blade. About every adult Kassites has this weapon
either inherited from his ancestors or made for him for adulthood. Most Kassites
wear light leather armor eventually enstrengthed by bracelets and kneelets.
The helmets are crowned by a long horsetail. More seldom are scale or chain
mails. Bow and lance are their
weapons of choice on horseback usually only with
a circular shield to dodge enemy sword strokes.

Occupations.
Among the Kassites anyone does any job necessary for the ranch. The children
usually tend the sheep while the adults care for cattle and horses. While growing
up the responsibilities increase for the kids and slowly they grow into the
community of the ranch. The only exception to this are the smiths. They usually
live isolated in towns along the tradelanes or near iron mines to produce tools
and weapons. While easy repairs are done on the ranch for weapons and armor
the Kassites seek the help of a master smith.

Government.
Any clan is ruled by its oldest squad which chooses the leader, who can be male or
female. The squad around this leader makes up the set of officers that'll usually
lead the clan into battle. The leaders of all squads of the clan meet in a great
council should the need arise. Important decisions can be only made with a majority
of this clan council though the leader can demand the clanmembers to follow
his or her honour which means more or less that the leader demands their loyalty
and trust in his/her own honour. Should the leader abuse this right or lie to get this right the
only punishment known is death. Other than that the different squads govern
their family businesses alone with anyone having their own rights to speak though
the final decision has the squadleader, the most capable or oldest warrior.
Within the Empire this autonomy is earned by swearing loyalty to the Empire
and the readiness to follow the Emperor into war whenever he should call for
their aid to defend the realm. For this honourable goal the Kassites are more
than eager to serve.

Production/Trade.
The Kassites produce mainly leather wares and meat which they also sell to the
nearby towns or settlements. They also produce cheese and all kinds of milk
products and they know how to brew an alcoholic drink from mare milk. Other
things they sell is wool and sometimes hide but as they are a tribe of warriors
it is enough for them to be self sustained.

Natural Resources.
The Kassites don't have much raw materials in their lands, and if there were,
they wouldn't dig for it. Most of their materials originate from the animals
they breed.

Holidays, Festivals
and Observances.
While the Kassites have a religion of their own, it merged with the gods and
systems known from the Korweynites. Today about half of the Kassites worship
Ghal as their highest God, the God of Justice, and follow his code of honour.

The Kassites come to the southeastern part of Nybelmar as the Korweynite Empire is on the brink of war. As mercenaries and soldiers they quickly earn the right to settle within the borders of the Empire but the fate of Korweyn seems to be sealed. In the last Battle at the Ranesh only the Kassites stay loyal to the empire and fight with the Korweynites but the battle is lost. An elite guard of Kassite cavalrymen rescues a heir to the Korweynite throne and hides him among their own ranks. The Korweyn Empire falls and Nybelmar falls into a dark age...

Tiara Ueweniel, the "Evenstar", has been raised by the warskilled Kassite horsetribe their way. She is the only successor in the direct bloodline and is crowned as first Empress of Korweyn, leader of the Korweynite people. Taught in the Kassites' way of life she adopts many traditions from their culture and makes them an important factor in the new Empire, and loyal vassals of her cause. After an age of darkness the Korweynites pacify many of the regions that once belonged to their realm and bring law and order to the lands.

The Kassites settle beside their traditional grazing ground also farther east near the Jerrah as part of a security policy by the Empire to secure the border to Aca-Santerra. Believing in the absolute loyalty of the Kassites the emperor thinks that having trained warrior clans nearby would help to ensure peace at this border.